
John Paul II’s “task”
On November 22, 1982, the students of the CTF “S. Cecilia” were welcomed to be a private audience with John Paul II, with whom they celebrated the morning Eucharist. Opportunity in which the Polish pope did not fail to indicate the specific path of the CTF “S. Cecilia”:
«Welcome to the pope’s house, kind guests of the Convitto “Santa Cecilia” in Vitinia [RM], who form a female community, with the aim of achieving a straight and enlightened spiritual and theological formation, so as to be able to carry out a qualified apostolate with profit in the local Churches.
Desiring first of all to correspond to the personal call of the Lord in the most varied conditions of life, you, dear young people, are responsibly aware of the needs, the anxieties and the hopeful prospects of your communities to which you propose to offer worthy service.
Therefore, let us dedicate yourselves seriously to the study of the theological sciences, which is so strongly recommended also to the laity for their ecclesial promotion. It has a significant value for personal growth in faith; it is necessary for any kind of evangelization exercised with competence; it is essential for an adequate response to the problem of today’s culture.
However, the formation that you propose to acquire has its fulcrum and its foundation in the life of prayer, which is the soul of every apostolate. In prayer, theology-science turns into theology-wisdom.
Saint Cecilia, Roman virgin and martyr – whose memory we celebrate today – model of the woman who chooses virginity up to the total sacrifice, for love of the Lord and as a sign of the future Kingdom, assists, protects and comforts you: for this reason we will invoke fervently during the Eucharistic Sacrifice».
JOHN PAUL II, Homily at the Mass for the guests of the S. Cecilia Women’s Theological College, (November 22, 1982)